The dynamic duo have settled into the gated Serra Retreat area of Malibu — a “hotbed of around 300 photographers,” according to one celebrity snapper who regularly camps out there with his compatriots to get a glimpse of stars like Mel Gibson, Britney Spears and Kylie Jenner who have frequented it in the past.
LA photographer Mark Karloff, host of the Paparazzi Podcast, told the Daily Star Meghan and Harry that while they might have privacy a few miles inside the gated community, they’re surrounded by a hot bed of camera lenses.
“This is LA, there are probably 200 to 300 photographers around, they’re really hungry for pictures right now,” he told the paper. “If they were out and about, they could expect to get it constantly if they decide to frequent any place.
“There are different breeds of photographers, there are photographers we would call savages that will pretty much do anything to get a picture,” he continued. “They will stay as many hours as they need to wait for an exit or wait for them to come out.”
Karloff said he believed that the couple will be living in Serra Retreat, where they can expect to find photographers at either exit of the grounds.
“There will be at least three or four photographers there at all times,” he told the Daily Star.
In another interview Karloff warned the couple will be “hounded” and advised the couple to negotiate with some of the best photographers out there before going about their day.
“They’re going to have to [negotiate] because then it gets dangerous, the more resistance to the pictures is what gets things dangerous. It’s not necessarily the photographers that are after them. When celebrities or security make it difficult to get photos, a lot of photographers will get more aggressive.”
Malibu is also treacherous as not only are the beaches in California all public, the main road going in and out is Highway 1 — which is packed most days — or two lane winding roads through the steep hills surrounding the coast. A potential paparazzi chase could be deadly.
“It doesn’t need to be that way, obviously if you’re somebody who is more of a private person and who hasn’t chosen a life of being in the public eye, and you don’t want to be photographed that’s a different story,” Karloff told the Star. “But if you’re someone like Meghan who has openly been wanting this celebrity life, you’re going to have to quote unquote give it up a lot of the time.”
This sounds like something Harry — who notoriously loathes the paparazzi and blames them for his mother’s death — will have a hard time swallowing.